One of my marketing team burst into my office the other day with a bright idea. This isn’t unusual in my world, or in the world of marketing.
But this time my heart sank.
He started with the words I dread:
“Hey Esther – it’s Valentine’s Day on Friday!” What’s worse he followed it up with: “You should write a blog post all about love. You know, something along the lines of three things I’ve learned about love.” Thankfully, he didn’t burst into song at this point – but he could easily have done.
Truth is, I loathe Valentine’s Day and all it’s icky, Hallmark-y, schmaltz. As the kids are saying these days: it’s hashtag: lame.
Gruesome pink hearts, inordinately expensive roses and sentimental nonsense. But.
I do employ my marketing team for a reason. They are creative people who often have great ideas. Like “Let’s give away a $10,000 backyard makeover” or “Let’s make a summer TV commercial in the middle of December”.
So, in honor of their latest ingenious idea, I am now going to tell you a story about love.
Many years ago, when I was at elementary school, I fell head over heels in love with a boy. He occupied my every waking thought for at least a week. He wasn’t particularly handsome, he wasn’t particularly strong and he wasn’t even very clever.
But he did give me a stick of chewing gum. And that made me love him.
I’m now aged (a little) over forty. And I haven’t thought about him in decades.
However, thanks to the over-enthusiastic encouragement of a marketing guy (who should know better) I had a lovely trip down memory lane.
What’s more – I think I still have that stick of chewing gum in my box of treasures at home somewhere.